Posted on October 7th, 2022.

What’s the goal here? To end hunger, achieve food security and improved nutrition and promote sustainable agriculture 

Why? Extreme hunger and malnutrition remains a barrier to sustainable development and creates a trap from which people cannot easily escape. Hunger and malnutrition mean less productive individuals, who are more prone to disease and thus often unable to earn more and improve their livelihoods. There are nearly 800 million people who suffer from hunger worldwide, the vast majority in developing countries.

How many people go hungry? New evidence continues to signal that the number of hungry people in the world is growing, reaching 821 million in 2017 or one in every nine people. Hunger has been on the rise over the past three years, returning to levels from a decade ago. This reversal in progress sends a clear warning that more must be done and urgently if the Sustainable Development Goal of Zero Hunger is to be achieved by 2030. The situation is worsening in South America and most regions of Africa. 

With enough food to feed everyone on the planet, why are there so many hungry people? Poor harvesting practices, as well as food wastage have contributed to food scarcity. Wars have also had a negative impact on the availability of food and have led to a destruction of the environment, which is critical to grow food. 

Why should I care? We all want our families to have enough food to eat that is safe and nutritious. A world with zero hunger can positively impact our economies, health, education, equality and social development. It’s a key piece of building a better future for everyone. Additionally, with hunger limiting human development, we will not be able to achieve the other sustainable development goals such as education, health and gender equality. 

How much will it cost to achieve zero hunger? We will need an estimated additional $267 billion per year on average to end world hunger by 2030. There will need to be investments in rural and urban areas and in social protection, so poor people have access to food and can improve their livelihoods. 

What can we do to help? You can make changes in your own life—at home, at work and in the community—by supporting local farmers or markets and making sustainable food choices, supporting good nutrition for all, and fighting food waste. 

You can also use your power as a consumer and voter, demanding businesses and governments make the choices and changes that will make Zero Hunger a reality. Join the conversation, whether on social media platforms or in your local communities.

Source